The Secret Lives of Mathematicians
Kathleen Hickey
National Security Agency
Mathematics can be more than just a subject in school; it can be a career. The government is the number one single employer of mathematicians in the country. Many of those mathematicians end up at the National Security Agency, where they find careers in research, information assurance, and cryptanalysis. This talk will be an introduction to the roles of mathematicians at NSA, as well as the basics of cryptography.
Kathleen Hickey has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Arts in Teaching (Secondary Mathematics) from Loyola University Maryland. She has worked for Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer programs, and worked briefly as a consultant for a higher education software company before joining the National Security Agency in 2016. She is currently a member of the Cryptanalysis Development Program and is actively involved in the Women in Mathematics Society at NSA.
